Forty-Nine Books, One Reckoning

a rare book would appear on my shelf. Forty-nine betrayals, forty-nine ex

father' s award ceremony-a promise he made while holding his

ual it broke me mo

. He stood there while she tried to erect a monu

, he had the nerve to

little compass

ry. Compassion for the woman he' d told about my misca

about a broken heart. This was about d

political strategist. I've ruined careers with far less. The fift

pte

he living room, ignoring the mountain of campaign materials on the dining table, and went strai

Great Gatsby. Beautiful, rar

hur had given me. Forty-nine ap

st as I was clo

is voice smooth and charming, t

is arms around my waist. I stiff

t," I said, m

emony. The one Arthur swore he wouldn't miss for the world. He

ck. That promise

his chin on my shoulder. "There was a last-minute

n hour ago. She' d just closed a deal on a luxury condo downtown. The buye

ol sweetheart. The ghost th

han the affair itself. He had left my dying father waiting

a rare book would appear. A silent, expensive apology that I was expe

tanding there, with the weight of his lie pressing down on me, I knew I coul

ed, his breath warm on my neck. He thought,

to face him. I forced

see the whole ugly truth b

shaking, but my mind was clear. I was a political strategist. I'd ruined careers

placed the phone back on the nigh

towel around his waist, smili

you and your dad,

I turned my head slightly, so

t tired,

o self-absorbed to notice

uzzed on the nightstand. A message notification lit up th

you. Can't wait to c

is man I had built a li

post from two hours ago. A picture of a key with a larg

beginnings. He knows

ast dozens of photos of me on his own campaign page, photos of us smiling, the perfect polit

ssage from Juli

omorrow?

n't wake. I held my breath. The reply I saw on my screen was

I'll tell Anya I h

lready prepar

t in my head was already working, mapping out the steps. This wasn't just about a broken

d not be a gift. It would